Surprises and Sleepy Elflings
by A Dreaming Songbird
Summary: Anairë and Ñolofinwë's wedding anniversary is approaching. Their four children want to surprise them with something, but are rather indecisive as to anything more specific than that! Just a short, fluffy piece about the elflings.


Findekáno - Fingon  
Turukáno - Turgon  
Irissë - Aredhel  
Aracáno - Argon

Telperion was gleaming softly, Laurelin's light completely faded by now. It was getting late, and it was definitely _past _the time for young elves to be already in bed, according to Anairë and Ñolofinwë, which of course was why Aracáno and Irissë were hiding under Findekáno's bed and waiting for Turukáno to show up so they could have a secret discussion as to how to surprise their parents on the anniversary of their wedding.

A giggle escaped the younger brother as his sister grinned, both quite excited by the idea of staying up so late and breaking such a simple rule.

The door creaked, and Findekáno shushed them, preparing an innocent expression to turn in case the person in the entryway was one of their parents, but that turned out to be unneccessary as Turukáno joined them instead.

"_Why_ are we doing this-" he started, but was cut off by Irissë lightly smacking his leg as she wriggled out from under the bed.

"Hush up, Turno, and find a sense of fun!" she admonished.

He sent her an icy look and continued haughtily, "Why are we doing this in Findekáno's room? It's closest to Atar and Ammë's, so they'll be more likely to hear us if we sit in here, you know."

Aracáno, who had followed Irissë and then clambered into Findekáno's lap, looked surprised. "I did not think of that," he admitted, twisting around to look up to see what Findo thought of the matter.

Findekáno carefully shifted as his baby brother wriggled around so as to avoid smacking his chin on Aracáno's head. "If we are quiet, it should not be a problem. Unless you would rather we sneak to your room, or further down to Irissë's? –Arno, stop wiggling, you're getting bigger you know. You're going to fall over or whack your head on my chin, and that would hurt."

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

"I think we can stay in here," piped Irissë, now lying on her stomach with her chin propped on her hands as she observed her brothers. "Arno isn't planning on starting a screaming fit, is he?"

"No!" A pudgy-cheeked face took on an obstinate look as Aracáno shook his head decisively, and Findekáno leaned back with a long-suffering sigh.

"Right, then," Turukáno interrupted before the eldest brother could tell the youngest not to flail so much, "shall we start the planning? I'm sure you don't want to be up all night," he added with a significant look at Findekáno, which most likely meant _I'm not looking after them if they're cranky and tired, this was your idea._

Findekáno gave him a cheeky grin over Aracáno's head, and then announced with a grand flourish whose effect was rather ruined by the pudgy elfling in his lap, "We can throw them a party with all the family!"

"_Hush_, will you?" grumbled Turukáno.

"All the family?" asked Aracáno. "That's... ten, no, fourteen, no... thirteen? A lot of people, I don't know." He shrugged.

"What about a gift?" asked Irissë, ignoring him. "We should get them a really nice present, to."

Turukáno looked thoughtful. "That is a good idea," he conceded. Irissë beamed.

"What kind of gift?" Aracáno wanted to know.

The bright grin on his sister's face vanished as she frowned in thought.

"What about a set of matching jewels or something?" suggested Findekáno.

Almost immediately, Irissë scoffed at the idea. "Don't be ridiculous, Findo," she told him. "They already have _plenty_ of those! No, we need something special..." she trailed off, a finger tapping her chin idly.

"A set of books?" offered Turukáno. "Atar and Ammë do both like reading..." he stopped talking at the disbelieving looks all three of his siblings were giving him, even little Aracáno, and crossed his arms.

"Who gives people _books _for a wedding anniversary, anyway?" Irissë shook her head. "Really, Turno. You have no idea about _romance_."

"And you do?" he shot back. Findekáno laughed as Irissë stuck out her tongue at Turukáno.

"I certainly couldn't have less than you!"

They may have descended into actual bickering if Aracáno hadn't reached out to poke Irissë's shoulder. "What if we made something?" he asked.

The other three looked at each other. The idea did have merit.

"It could be symbolic, maybe? We made something, like they made us after their wedding—" Findekáno stopped speaking, a wide grin on his face and merely laughed at the dark look and "Shut up" Turukáno shot him.

"It has to be pretty," Irissë ordered.

"Something not too cumbersome, either, and either usable or easy to display," added Turukáno.

"Like one of those pretty tapestries Grandfather has?" asked Aracáno eagerly.

Findekáno and Turukáno exchanged somber looks as the excitement and suppressed laughter drained away.

"No, Arno," the former said gently, smoothing back the dark locks of the elfling in question. "I don't think a weaving like that is a good idea. Not for us."

"But what about something similar?" asked Irissë quietly. "Like a painting, maybe?"

"A painting might be nice," agreed Turukáno.

"I'll have to teach Arno how to paint properly," she frowned. "It has to be pretty."

"I can paint pretty things!" defended the younger.

"Yes, but you can learn to paint _prettier_ things," said Irissë in a voice that brooked no argument. Findekáno patted Aracáno's head consolingly.

"Don't forget, we still have to plan the party, too!" warned Turukáno. "I'd suggest we hurry up with that, too. It's getting late."

"Oh, come on, Turno!" Irissë flopped onto her back and grinned at him, upside-down. "I'm not even tired! And I bet Arno's not either! Are _you_?"

"You'll regret it in the morning," Turukáno told her.

Aracáno yawned and snuggled against Findekáno. "Not tired, though! So it doesn't matter!" he asserted. "Let's plan the party?"

Findekáno smiled down at him fondly. "Yes, let's, before anyone falls asleep. I don't want to have to carry anyone back to their rooms, after all."

Aracáno frowned. "I'm not sleepy!"

"I never said you were," Findekáno said with a charming grin. "For all you know, I meant I don't want to have to lug Turno around. Which I don't. He's heavy."

Turukáno, who had recently passed Findekáno's height by about a hair, frowned. "And you're short."

"Hey!"

"Shh!" both Irissë and Turukáno cautioned. Aracáno giggled.

After a brief lull, Turukáno offered, "We could have it in Alqualondë? Ammë and Atar both like visiting the beach. We could talk to Uncle Arafinwë and Aunt Eärwen and see if they can figure something out."

"But then it wouldn't be a surprise..." Irissë objected.

"Well... What if we somehow just got there ahead of them and surprised them with the fact that there's a party planned?"

"Do you think they'd let us all go off without them, though? I mean, we could wheedle for Irissë, but..." Findekáno gestured at the now dozing elfling in his arms. "I don't think they'd let us go off riding and take him."

"We could leave him to arrive with them," said Turukáno.

"Noooo," slurred Aracáno. "Don' leave meee..."

Turukáno looked slightly startled and then mildly guilty. He obviously had not realized that his brother was in fact awake.

"We're not leaving you, Arno," assured Irissë.

"We have ten more days to plan this," said Turukáno. "I think we should all go to bed."

"I think that you should, too," said a voice from behind them as the door opened. Everyone jumped, looking guilty, as Anairë entered, her eyebrows raised.

"Findekáno, what is this? Do you not realize the time? It is definitely past time for you all to be in bed, especially Aracáno and Irissë." She frowned, the stern expression on her face making them all rather sheepish.

"Sorry, Ammë," Findekáno murmured, eyes downcast. "I... I'll get them both to bed right away."

"What were you doing, anyway, that you all needed to be up so late?" she prodded. "Planning something?"

"We were playing a game," Irissë jumped in before Findekáno could answer. What if he spilled all their plans? That would be awful! In an effort to divert their mother from this line of questioning, she added, "Or, we were, but then Arno goes and falls asleep on us all."

Aracáno made an incomprehensible whine at her, most likely something along the lines of "Stop blaming me!"

Irissë ignored him and plowed on. "So we were planning on finishing up later. We want to get really good at this game!"

Anairë looked unconvinced. "Ten days to plan your game?"

"Uh, yeah..." Turukáno fidgeted uncomfortably, before Irissë jumped in to save the day again.

"I was going to ask you in the morning, actually, if we could all go over to Uncle Arafinwë's house for a few days sometime next week? That's what the game was for, Angaráto and Aikanáro taught it to Findo and he taught it to us and we all were really bad at it and lost miserably so we wanted to see if we could beat them next time we played it!" she invented. Goodness, but she was quite good at this, if she did say so herself!

Turukáno was staring at her with a mixture of amusement, surprise, and indignation that she could and would lie that easily. She grinned convincingly.

Anairë rolled her eyes. "Fine. We'll see about you going to Arafinwë's house. It might be a no, if this is how responsible you all are. Playing games until exhaustion? Not the best way to care for a little one." She directed that last comment at Findekáno with a sharp glance, and a second one at Turukáno. "Now go to sleep, all of you."

Irissë rolled over until her head was on Findekáno's pillows. "Okay, good night Ammë!" she said with a bright grin and an eager wave. Anairë shook her head and smiled.

"Good night, children. Do try and sleep some tonight, you know your father and I will be busy tomorrow!" Anairë kissed each of their foreheads.

"We will, Ammë," chorused Irissë and Turukáno, and Anairë nodded and exited the room. Findekáno was staring at Irissë.

"That's _my _pillow," he told her.

"And you're _my _brother," she replied cheekily. "So, if you're mine, then by extension your stuff is mine, too! My bed."

He laughed then, and set Aracáno down next to Irissë before lying amongst the blankets himself. Turukáno hovered a little awkwardly, then started to turn to walk to his room when Irissë caught his hand.

"Where are _you_ going, hmm?" she asked.

"My... room...?" he replied uncertainly, and she tugged him over.

"Findo, scoot over. You're sleeping here, Turno, now get in!" Irissë commanded.

With a good-natured roll of his eyes, Findekáno shifted and pulled Aracáno with him, so that Turukáno could lie down on Irissë's other side.

"Good night," Turukáno murmured after shuttering the lantern.

"Good night," his sister and brother repeated.


End file.
